The House of Representatives narrowly voted Tuesday night to change the default policy for carrying personal firearms on military bases, approving an amendment that would require installation commanders to approve requests from qualified service members and Pentagon civilian employees unless they have a specific reason to deny them. The measure passed by a single vote, 215-214, with three Democrats joining most Republicans in support, while three Republicans and independent Representative Kevin Kiley of California opposed it.
The amendment, introduced by Representative Jeff Crank of Colorado, does not automatically authorize personnel to carry firearms on military property. Instead, it establishes a presumption that commanders will approve such requests from individuals who meet qualifications, effectively shifting the burden from the requester to the commander to justify a denial. The vote came less than a year after an Army sergeant allegedly used a personal handgun to shoot five fellow soldiers at Fort Stewart, Georgia, in August 2025. All five victims survived after other soldiers tackled and disarmed the suspect. Military officials confirmed that personal firearms were prohibited on the post at the time of the incident.
The amendment was part of a broader debate over the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), a massive bill that authorizes approximately $1.15 trillion for national defense—about $252 billion more than Congress appropriated for defense programs in fiscal year 2026. The NDAA, which has become law every year for more than six decades, is traditionally one of Congress's most bipartisan major bills. However, the firearms measure, along with several other controversial provisions adopted Tuesday, threatened to erode Democratic support, potentially forcing Republican leaders to rely on their narrow majority for final passage and creating new sticking points in negotiations with the Senate.
Lawmakers also approved an amendment from Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina that prohibits TRICARE, the military's health insurance program, from covering transition-related hormones, puberty blockers, and surgeries for service members and military dependents. The provision passed 219-208, with five Democrats voting yes and one Republican voting no. It would broaden existing Trump administration restrictions and write the prohibition into federal law. The House also voted 221-203 to approve a second Mace amendment barring transgender girls from participating in girls' sports at Department of Defense Education Activity schools serving military families.
However, lawmakers rejected a separate amendment from Representative Lauren Boebert of Colorado that would have codified President Donald Trump's 2025 executive order barring transgender troops from military service and requiring personnel to serve according to their biological sex. That amendment failed 217-212, with four Republicans joining all voting Democrats in opposition. The House also rejected an effort from Representative Eli Crane of Arizona to largely eliminate funding for the Pentagon's Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, which would have permitted funding only for security at the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv. Seventy-six Republicans supported the proposal, highlighting continued opposition within the GOP conference to military assistance for Ukraine.
In other votes, the House rejected a proposal that would have barred foreign nationals from attending U.S. military academies in a 360-61 vote. The amendment would have ended longstanding programs that train officers from allied and partner nations at institutions including West Point, the Naval Academy, and the Air Force Academy. Lawmakers also voted to eliminate a proposed pilot program that would have used voice-based risk-assessment technology to identify service members for drug testing. Additionally, the House narrowly approved language intended to ensure the continued operation of California's Santa Ynez Pipeline System, which transports crude oil to refineries supplying military installations. That measure also passed 215-214.
The votes came as lawmakers began working through amendments to the NDAA. The House made 320 amendments eligible for consideration, eight more than were included in the procedural package that collapsed last month amid a Republican revolt over the SAVE America Act. Amendment debate is expected to resume Wednesday, with a vote on final passage after lawmakers finish considering the remaining proposals. The underlying bill would provide pay raises ranging from 5% to 7% for service members, expand weapons and munitions production, and accelerate investment in missile defense, autonomous systems, hypersonics, and other emerging technologies.
The NDAA sets defense policy and authorizes spending levels, but it does not provide the money itself. Congress must separately pass defense appropriations legislation to fund the programs and priorities included in the bill. The legislation would also formally change the Department of Defense's name to the Department of War, deeming references to the defense secretary and department in federal law to mean the secretary and Department of War. Consideration of the legislation had been delayed for three weeks by a separate Republican fight over the SAVE America Act, Trump's election legislation requiring documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote and identification to cast a ballot in federal elections. The House approved the SAVE America Act in February by a 218-213 vote, but the measure stalled in the Senate, where Republicans lacked the 60 votes needed to overcome a filibuster.